Had a better session on my VG this morning. Got up super early and had head-high glass to myself and 2 mates. Steep take offs into slopey walls that sucked back up on the inside.
I find empty sessions like this where I can keep catching waves make all the difference when feeling out a board. Got to try a bunch of lefts too which I've mostly avoided on this board until now unless they were hollow.

Still feeling a little awkward getting the board around on some cutbacks, particularly when the wall is fattening out. I think I'll go slightly narrower on a CBD version. That said once you get the opposite rail set it just drives through the turn and feels super free. I think it's just the width through the whole outline combined with a super deep concave make it a little harder with transitions. Hence Tomo's 1" narrower than your shortboard guide. I will def order an FST CBD version when the time comes and try to dial in the perfect dims as it does feel a touch other sized at times.

When everything comes together though there is nothing like this board.

I also think the Sweet Potato and VG are a nice 2 board quiver that are easy to transition between. I'd love to see a hybrid of the two.

nice prj... r they doing a cbd for the tomo? r u using thruster or quad. for myself backside w thruster i can really bury the rail while frontside i can slide the tail w quads easier. its probably just my style tho

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I've been exclusively thruster. The quad placement just looks too far forward to me. I should give it a go though, maybe next time it's small.

Mark said on another forum that plans where to have the VG available in 1" increments later this year and eventually in the CBD.
Once it's available in FST and CBD I'll replace my 5'6 but have fun on it currently despite a few teething problems adjusting to it.

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I've been following a lot of comments about some of the kitesurfers who have been using the non-kite version Vanguard. So far none of them have mentioned any catchiness on the nose. It very well could be slight differences in stances. Is anyone else experiencing this at all as Myles describes in section (2)?

They are faster than a traditional board for sure. That's the whole concept. But bare in mind you need to be pretty back footed to get the best out of them. As soon as I attempt to drive off my front foot I catch rail and lose all that speed. Similar in a way to the potato, but maybe more unforgiving because the spud at least has some curve in the tip of the nose. If you're weighted back and keeping that nose up, you're flying.

Not only faster but quicker as well. I have lent mine to some people and they can not believe how well it turns despite the straight rail line, still trying to get the concept inside their heads, very maneuverable. So far I have only used it as a thruster and love it

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Ive had my 5'4" vanguard for about a month now and im more stoked on this board than i ever have been on any other board. i was looking at the unibrow and tried it first at a demo then for kicks tried the vanguard and fell in love. the first proper swell i got to ride it in was these last few days in huntington 5-8' +. i figured i would take my old 5'11" thruster out on such a day but i wanted to see what the vanguard would do in real surf. at only 5'4" this thing feels like it can take on anything...lays down a rail and holds like a snowboard. i guess thats the idea with the parallel rails. the vanguard really is a one board quiver even if it wasnt meant to be or at least not advertised to be. props to tomo and to the guys at firewire for thinking outside the box...by shaping a box... oh and im 145lbs dry with no suit on...rocking a thruster setup with machado fins...havent ridden it as a quad yet